Smothered pork chops with flash-fried beans and olives

Seared, then cooked in a creamy leek and garlic sauce, you’ll get tender and juicy pork chops every time.

Ingredients

4 x 220g pork chops

Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 leeks, finely sliced

2 bay leaves

1/2 bunch thyme leaves, picked

12 cloves garlic, minced

Juice and finely grated zest of 2 lemons

2 Tbsp plain flour

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup cream

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

300g green beans, trimmed

4 cups baby kale leaves

2 Tbsp kalamata olives, finely diced

Method

Season pork chops with salt and pepper, then drizzle with half the oil. Heat a large, deep frying pan on high and sear chops for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Set aside.

Melt butter in pan. Add leeks, bay leaves and thyme and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and half the lemon zest, then cook for 3 more minutes.

Sprinkle flour over and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then pour in stock, cream and Worcestershire sauce. Heat until simmering, return pork chops to frying pan, then cook gently for 10 minutes, basting chops constantly with the sauce.

Pour remaining olive oil in a small frying pan over high heat. Fry beans for 3 minutes, stirring, until just tender. Add baby kale, olives and lemon juice. Toss several times. Serve pork chops on a bed of fried beans with a generous amount of sauce. Sprinkle with remaining lemon zest before serving.

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